KU students want to provide electric SUV for campus library

LAWRENCE, Kansas - A group of University of Kansas engineering students are steadily working to bring electric powered vehicles to campus.

When Josh Petty says it, it sounds simple.

"We're taking a 1997 GMC Jimmy and converting it to a fully functional electrical vehicle," the senior in mechanical engineering said.

Last year the group of KU engineering seniors known as the Eco-Hawks converted a VW beetle to electric power. That was a sort of proof of concept project that showed the theory was possible to do.

This year's flock of Eco-Hawks are taking on this bigger project to prove the concept is practical.

"We're doing this for the KU libraries. They have Chevy S-10's right now that they're running book deliveries and they get about fifteen miles to a gallon and they run about twenty-five miles a day," Petty said.

When the vehicle’s running it should get about eighty-five miles on a single charge. And when it needs to be charged it can simply be plugged into a wall receptacle.

And it will be rolling proof that an electric vehicle is a practical alternative.

"What Eco-Hawks does is it teaches us theory and makes us think outside the box," Petty said.

And if the project isn't finished by the end of the school year as planned, Petty plans to come back after he graduates just to see it through.

The Eco-Hawks plan to do the same thing next year to replace the libraries' other Chevy. But for right now they are really looking for donations of money or parts.